Chapter 76: This Is Highly Rated by the Hero (Part 2)

“A test of patience?”

I tilted my head at Ji-eun’s question.

A game that tests patience…

It sounded abstract, so I couldn’t picture anything specific. It was probably because I had been focused on sword fighting lately.

‘I have been playing a lot of Arfellium.’

That’s why I was interested in Ji-eun’s suggestion of a new game…

I touched my lips with my fingertip and said,

“I can’t think of anything when you say ‘patience.’ What kind of game is it?”

Ji-eun’s face brightened, and she clapped lightly.

“So you don’t know it. Perfect! This game is more fun when you play it for the first time!”

“R-really?”

“Here, sit down. I’ll explain.”

I sat down on the floor as Ji-eun instructed. She sat in front of me, cross-legged, and slowly began to explain.

“This is a bit of a deep dive, so there will be some background explanation. Please bear with me even if it gets boring.”

“Uh, uhm?”

“So, as you know, the VR game market is practically dominated by Arfellium Corporation, right?”

“Right.”

I nodded.

Arfellium Corporation was the first company to bring virtual reality to the present. And with an overwhelming technological advantage. No other company had been able to create a VR device that matched Arfellium Corporation’s performance.

‘That’s why it’s even more suspicious.’

The world was normal before I fell into ‘that world.’ Virtual reality was a very, very distant future. So, it was quite suspicious that VR suddenly appeared after I returned from ‘that world.’

‘The name is suspicious too.’

Of course, that wasn’t important right now.

I gathered the stray thoughts creeping into my mind and tossed them into the storage of my memories, then focused on Ji-eun’s words again.

“And Arfellium Saga is practically the number one game worldwide. But as you know, Shihyun, there used to be a lot of game companies. Although the number has decreased now.”

“Really?”

I didn’t know many game companies. I knew a few famous ones, but not most of them. It was inevitable, since game companies weren’t usually more famous than the games themselves.

‘I never really paid attention to which company made the games I played.’

But according to Ji-eun, it seemed like even some of the giant, famous game companies I knew had gone under.

‘It’s a little sad to think that the companies that made the games I enjoyed are gone.’

I felt a bit melancholic.

“But!”

“Eek!”

I was startled by Ji-eun’s sudden shout. As I clutched my chest, I saw Ji-eun looking at me meaningfully.

“What, why are you so surprised? Were you thinking about something else?”

She seemed to have noticed my distraction.

‘Tsk, I hate how perceptive Ji-eun is.’

But it wasn’t good to be caught daydreaming, so I just mumbled awkwardly,

“No. I was focused.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Hmm.”

Her gaze was suspicious, but I couldn’t waver. I had to maintain a serious expression.

I acted serious, recalling the time I stabbed the Demon King’s heart. Ji-eun flinched, then muttered in a slightly trembling voice,

“Oh my, you scared me. What’s with that look? It’s scary. Shihyun, you could make such a scary face? I didn’t know.”

“It’s a serious look.”

“It is serious. Serious enough to kill someone.”

Ji-eun grumbled.

Seeing an opening, I quickly changed the subject.

“S-so? Continue your explanation.”

“Oh, right. The explanation.”

Ji-eun came to her senses, placed her left hand on her chest, straightened her posture, and cleared her throat.

“Bujinjanggangongonrae. Just as the waves behind push the waves ahead in the Yangtze River, old game companies disappeared and new ones emerged.”

“Bujin…what?”

“Bujinjanggangongonrae. It means the waves behind push the waves ahead. When a new era comes, new people replace the old.”

“That’s an interesting idiom.”

“It’s not a four-character idiom. It’s a proverb.”

“You know a lot of proverbs, Ji-eun.”

“Of course!”

Ji-eun puffed out her chest proudly at my compliment.

“I saw it in a martial arts novel.”

“I see. That’s impressive.”

I wasn’t good with Chinese characters, so I was impressed that Ji-eun knew such things. I was also weak in math, science, and English. Fortunately, I was good at swordsmanship, magic, and the language of ‘that world,’ so I was average overall.

“But Ji-eun,”

“Yes?”

“The chat keeps saying you’re wrong. They say it’s not Bujinjanggangongonrae but Janghanghoorangchureonrang… or something.”

I tilted my head and asked, and Ji-eun widened her eyes and quickly checked the chat. Her face flushed slightly, and she shook her head and exclaimed,

“No. Shihyun, don’t trust the viewers. They pretend to know things they don’t.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Of course! I’ve read so many martial arts novels, how could I not know? Don’t tell me you think I’m pretending to know something I don’t, Shihyun?”

Ji-eun said, patting her chest with a flushed face. Her chest jiggled like the waves of the Yangtze River.

It seemed suspicious, but I nodded, pretending to be convinced. I didn’t read martial arts novels, so I didn’t know about such things.

Ji-eun must be right.

“Okay, you’re right.”

“See? I told you. Believe me.”

“Of course, of course.”

“…You don’t sound convinced.”

Ji-eun muttered, then shook her head.

“We’re getting off track. Anyway, there’s a new game company that emerged in this era. It’s called Iceborn Studios… Have you heard of it?”

“No.”

Iceborn? I had never heard of it.

‘I know Blizzard.’

Ji-eun’s face brightened as I shook my head.

“Iceborn Studios. They used to make mediocre games. But they’ve grown now. Quite a lot. They’re probably ranked fourth worldwide.”

“Really?”

“And the reason they grew so much is…”

According to Ji-eun,

Iceborn Studios used to be a very small studio. They didn’t have any notable IPs, and the games they made were niche and mediocre.

“But it seems their technical skills weren’t bad.”

“Technical skills?”

“Yeah. So they seized an opportunity.”

Iceborn Studios grew when the VR market emerged.

After Arfellium Corporation released the world’s first VR device, the CEO of Iceborn Studios predicted that Arfellium’s device would dominate the global VR market. Since it was obvious that Arfellium Corporation, with its overwhelming technology, would take over the entire market, he decided to quickly develop games compatible with Arfellium’s devices and become a first-party developer.

“And that prediction was correct. Arfellium dominated the VR game console market.”

While other companies were busy trying to develop their own VR devices, Iceborn Studios, which focused all its efforts on entering Arfellium’s ecosystem, quickly took over the VR market along with Arfellium.

“But other companies didn’t just stand still. Major game companies started moving towards Arfellium…”

“Hmm…”

The explanation continued for a while. I glanced at Ji-eun with an awkward expression. It was a boring topic for me, too complicated and uninteresting.

‘Ji-eun seems to like this kind of talk…’

Judging by the chat and my own feelings,

It was a very boring topic. So, what was this patience game?

‘Or was that a metaphor?’

Was this conversation the patience game?

A game to see when I would lose my temper?

In the end, I couldn’t hold back and interrupted Ji-eun.

“So, what is this patience game?”

Ji-eun puffed out her cheeks, seemingly annoyed that I interrupted her.

“…I was just about to explain.”

“I asked because I want to play the game.”

I smoothly changed the subject, and Ji-eun looked at me for a moment, then sighed and said,

“…It’s a climbing game.”

“Climbing?”

What is climbing?

I racked my brain for a while, then remembered something.

“Isn’t that rock climbing?”

If my memory served me right, it was a sport where you climb a wall with colorful rock-shaped holds.

I didn’t understand why climbing a wall was a sport, but it was classified as one.

‘Was it an Olympic sport?’

I couldn’t comprehend the appeal, but since there were people who enjoyed it, it must have some kind of entertainment value or sense of accomplishment.

Anyway.

“A game where you do rock climbing?”

“That’s right!”

Ji-eun’s explanation continued.

It was a well-made game, praised by professional climbers, highly realistic, and even used by professional climbers for training…

It was so enthusiastic that I wasn’t sure if she was explaining a game or doing a sales pitch.

‘She must really like this game.’

Even though the viewers didn’t seem to.

I glanced at the chat, which was still filled with angry complaints, and thought so.

“Well, and since no one has cleared it yet, a lot of streamers are trying to challenge it. So, I thought it would be fun to play together.”

“A game no one has cleared?”

This explanation felt familiar…

“Yeah. Other modes are clearable, but no one has succeeded in Real Mode. It’s too difficult for humans to climb in one go.”

“I see.”

A challenge no one has overcome. I was intrigued.

“Then should we try it?”

“Okay!”

Immediately, the chat went wild.

[No don’t play it]
[That game is so boring]
[Seriously lol]
[The only fun part is falling ]
[But I’m curious how well Shihyun will do lol]
[I’m not curious, Be curious by yourself]
[Both of you are so good at picking games that make us suffer, where did you learn that?]
[Please don’t play it!]

They were desperately pleading with us not to play that game.

But neither I nor Ji-eun paid attention.

A streamer must stream, even if the viewers cry.